This invention relates to games and particularly to game apparatus which involves manual manipulation by players of the game as well as requiring mental retaining capabilities to successfully play the game by remembering prior action during play.
Games have been provided, such as board games, card games, or the like, where the players during play of cards or game pieces must remember actions during the play of the game in order to successfully win the game or accumulate points or scores as play progresses. The present invention is directed to a game apparatus of the character described which employs a mechanical apparatus for moving playing pieces thereover and dropping the playing pieces through "hidden" apertures or recesses during play and including means for creating "challenges" during play whereby players attempt to determine relative positions of hidden playing pieces.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the game apparatus includes a base for positioning on a supporting surface. The base has a raised generally flat playing surface with a plurality of apertures therein whereby playing pieces, such as balls, can be moved over the playing surface and dropped through the apertures therein. A manually manipulatable member in the form of a generally flat plate is positionable on top of the playing surface for sliding thereover by the players of the game. The manually manipulatable member has a plurality of apertures therein for receiving the playing pieces in gravity abutment with the top of the playing surface of the base. The manually manipulatable member is opaque so as to preclude visualization of the apertures in the playing surface, and opaque caps are positionable on top of the manually manipulatable member about the apertures therein covering any playing pieces which are disposed in the apertures of the manipulatable member. Operating means is provided and connected between the manually manipulatable member and the base for selective operation by the players of the game to move the member over the playing surface. The operating means includes a separate moving mechanism for each player to independently move the manually manipulatable member relative to the playing surface to move the "hidden" playing pieces over the playing surface in an attempt to drop the playing pieces through the apertures in the playing surface. Each moving mechanism includes a take-up reel rotatably mounted on the base and selectively rotatable by a player of the game, and a cable wrapped about the take-up reel and connected to one side of the manually manipulatable plate-like member. The crank arm is secured to the take-up reel for grasping by a player to rotate the reel.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, both the apertures in the manually manipulatable plate-like member and the subjacent playing surface are randomly spaced and, in the embodiment shown, more apertures are provided in the raised playing surface than in the upper manipulatable member.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.